Who is Carol Sawyer, District 4 CMS Board of Education candidate?
Name: Carol Sawyer
School board seat you’re seeking: District 4, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 64
Campaign website: https://www.sawyerforschools.com
Email: carol@sawyerforchools.com
Occupation: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education member
Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison BS Psychology; University of Pennsylvania MS Anatomy; The George Washington University MA Museum Studies
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): Yes; Elected to represent District 4 on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education in 2017
Please list your highlights of civic involvement: I have been an advocate for equity in public education for decades. I believe all students deserve an education that includes the arts, science, and social studies — I fought the elimination of those non-tested subjects in the early 2000s. Class size matters and I worked to ensure that class sizes at high-poverty schools were small. In telling the full story of African American history, I worked with civil rights leader B.B. DeLaine to organize a student civil rights tour.
What qualities, skills and experiences do you think would make a good superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Board must be responsive to the community’s voice and vision when determining the characteristics needed in the next superintendent. I want a superintendent who encourages innovation within the parameters of the board’s goals and guardrails; balances the needs of the district to provide equal and equitable education experiences across schools, while allowing implementation decisions to be made by the staff members closest to the work; and has high expectations for students and staff.
CMS, along with other districts across the country and state, has lost a lot of teachers. What are your ideas to keep teachers in CMS classrooms?
Educators need respect, support, pay. CMS needs to balance the need to standardize curriculum across schools with the flexibility desired by our most experienced teachers to implement the curriculum with integrity. I supported increasing the county pay supplement 10%, unfortunately the final budget only funded a 5% increase. The North Carolina General Assembly must raise educator pay so it is comparable to other similarly professionals.
What solutions would you offer to improve student and employee safety on CMS school campuses?
Key to school safety is for each student must have a trusted adult on campus. Schools that create a culture of caring see reduced bullying behaviors and fewer discipline problems. I support the continued expansion of restorative practices rather than exclusionary discipline for all but the most serious infractions in our schools.
How do you define CMS’ achievement gap? How can CMS bridge the achievement gap, raise test scores and get the 50 district schools off of the low-performing list?
Strategies to close achievement gaps include fully funding: Well-resourced small classes taught by highly effective teachers; more supports for Exceptional Children and English Learner students; comprehensive wrap around services to support families. We need strong leaders who support: Laser-like focus on teaching and learning; creating a culture of caring with a focus on equity and anti-racism; and a pupil assignment plan that reduces racial, ethnic, and socio-economic isolation of communities.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I understand how policy can change outcomes. I shepherded creation of a new Equity Policy and a new Community Equity Committee. Establishing that committee was difficult – several board members opposed its creation, but I persisted because I was committed to having community members engaging with the board on our equity work. The board has already changed policy because of the committee’s work. I want to continue the work that will make our system stronger, more accountable and more equitable.
This story was originally published October 3, 2022 at 12:55 PM.
